Roof for cars.



W. P. BETTBNDORF, DBCD.

J. w; BETTBNDOBF, Anmmsamfron.

ROOF POR GARS. APPLICATION FILED AUGL13, 1910.

, Patented May 21, 1912.

-2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. P. BETTENDORF, DEGD.

J. W. BBTTENDO'BI, ADMINISTRATOR. ROOF FOB. GARS. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, 1010.

1,026,899. Patented May 21, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f2/Wer UNITED STATES PATENT oEEicE.

'WILLIAIVI '.P. BETTENDORF, DECEASED, LATE OF BETTENDORF, IOWA, BY JOSEPH W. BETTENDORF, ADMINISTRATOR, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA.

ROOF FOR CARS.

This invention relates to the construction of the roofs'of railway cars, and more particularly to cars having knock-down bodies, similar to that set forth in an application for. patent filed by said William l.

Bettendorf, April Sth, 1910, Serial No.

554,184, for box car construction `(Case '171) of which the present application is a division.

It is the object of said invention to provide a car-body with a roof the parts of which can be quickly assembled or can be readily dismantled or removed forthe purpose of loading the. car, or converting it from a box to a gondola car, or Vice versa, 'and a further object is to permit of thisl removal of the roof elements without disturb- ,ing the structural indepeIulence of the sidewalls of the Ibody or without the necessity of loosening nuts or removing bolts. This is accomplished by the means -and in the manner hereinafterfully described, and as more particularly pointed 'out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of one end portionof the improved car-roof. Fig. 2 is a Vertical end elevation ot' the roof showing the side-wall ot' the car in sect-ion and a fragment of the rear-wall. Fig. 3 is a plan view ot' a fraglnent of the, roof including the `union of the roof elements and the ridge support, drawn to an enlarged scale. Fig.

4t. is a detail `.view illustrating the end cellpling of a carline. Fig. 5 is a side view of one end ofthe saine. Fig. is a central longitudinal vertical section of one en'd of the car supporting the improved roof.

The car to which the improven'ients areadapted to be applied has suitable cornerposts li, l5, arising `from the corners of its floor, that is supported on a suitable under frame X and is provided with side-walls and end-walls A, A', supported by said posts, substantially as set forth in the afore- `said pending application of which this is a Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application tiled April 8, 1910, Seria1 No. 554,184. Divided and 1910. Serial No. 577,094.

Patented May 21, 1912. this application filed August 13,

division. The only features of these parts with which the invention ,involved in this application cooperates are the upper rolled tubular edges c and d of said Walls, and the vertical slits made in the inner` web of the triangular upper ends of said posts, as will .hereinafter more fully appear. The corner` posts 'have their lower ends suitably secured to the floor or undertrame, and their upper ends terminate just below the eaves of the roof members, and substantially T-shaped side-posts or stakes li', are located at the center of length of the car, that are secured to and arise from said floor or undcrframe and are of the same height as said coi-,nerposts. The improved roof of this car-body preferably consists of two rectangular screens 10, each of which is bounded by a suitable channel-iron frame 2, and each of which is of a length corresponding to the distance between the end-walls of the car,

,and ot' a width corresponding to the width o'l' one side of the slope of the roof. A t this point it may be mentioned that instead of screening, solid 'plates might 'be employed for these roof elements; for convenience, however, these elements will hereinafter be referred to as screens. At the ends of the ear, these screens are supported by carlines 14, that arch over from lthe, top of one corner-post to the other. 'lhesccarlines are arranged in transverse vertical planes just inside the end-walls, and their ends are bent laterally toward the ends ofthe car and have substantially T-shaped dowels 15, that; enter the' vertical slits (hereinbe'lore re- Yt'erred to) in the angular web connectingr the outer webs of the top of the corner posts. In order to lock the ridge, of said screens together, frames 2, thereof have suitable plates 3 secured to `theirr outer surfaces, which latter are provided with lingers 4 that. project in transverse alinement with the ends of frames 2, beyond the adjacent longitudi-I nal edges thereof, a short distance, which fingers are provided with heads 5, having' greater vertical dimensions. lVhen the screens are assembled, the heads of these tingers are dropped into depressed seats made in the horizontally projecting lnembers (i of standards 7, each of said standards, is preferably, Y-shaped in cross section and extends down to and is'provided with concaved foot 8 that rests upon the top the end-Walls at the center of width of the car. The plate 3 is also provided with-lat erally projecting studs 9 the function of which is such that, when said screens are lifted off the top of the car, they catch upon the brackets c projecting outward from the outer ends of the end-posts, as hereinbefore stated,'and support said screens along-l side the upper portions of the sides of the car in the position shown in dotted lines in Fi. 2 of the drawings.

t their lower corners screens, 10, are provided with studs, 12, that are secured in and project outwardly from the marginal frame, 2. `When thescrecns are in their proper positions, these studs enter suit-able apertures made to receive the same in the tubular upper edges of the side-walls, and, when said screens are locked by means of a padlock engaging the vertical extension 13, that arises from standard 7 between fingers 4, the screens will be locked in position.

W'hat is claimed as new is ti l. A car-body comprising a suitable un# derfraine, coi1icr-] )osts, car-lines at each end of said car-body removably secured to and arching from one post to the other, and integral roof members each extending from end to end of said body between the ridge thereof and the eaves of the roof and removably secured upon said car-lines.

2. A car-body comprising an underframe, corner-posts, endwvalls secured to said posts, carlines removably secured to and arching from one post to the other, roof members removably supported upon said cai-lines, and standards resting upon said end-Walls the upper ends of which are engaged by said roof elements. f

' 3. A carwbody comprising an underframe, corner-posts, end-walls secured to said posts, cai-lines removably secured to and arching from one post to the other, roof members removably supported upon said carlines, transverse fingers secured to and proJecting from the corners of said roof members and provided With enlarged ends, and standards resting upon said end-walls the upper ends of which are engaged by said fingers.

4. The combination With a car-body, of a roof therefor comprising carlines at each end of said body and secured to and arching from sidewall to side-Wall of the same, and integral half roof members one on each side of the ridge of the roof and extending from endto end of the car-body each of `which are removably supported by said carlines, between the ridge and eaves of the roof.

' 5. The'combination with a car-body, of a roof therefor comprising carlines secured to and arching from side-wall to side-wall of said body, standards supportedby the end- Walls intermediate their endsLand integral half roof-members one on each side of the y ridge ofthe roof that are removably supported by said carlines and the upper corners of which rest uponsaid standards.

G. The combination with a car-body, the upper edges of the walls of which are rtinforced, of a roof thereforcomprising cary lines secured to and arching from side-Wall to side-wall of said body, a standard mount'- ed on the upper edge of each end-wall intermediate the ends of the same, and roof members removably supported by said carlines andthe upper corners vof which rest upon said standards.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of August,l 1910.

JOSEPH XV. BETTENDORF,

Administrator' 0f the estate of William P.

Bettendorf, deceased. t lVtnesses:

A. B. FRENIER, O. C. STABY. 

